Cut-off for dough-hoppers and the like.



F. H. VAN HOUTEN.

CUT-OFF FOR DOUGH HOPPERS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. l, 1916- Patented Oct. 31, 1916.

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nn'rrnn sra'rnis Parana ora ion FRANK H. VAN HOUTEN, 0F BEACON, NEW YORK, ASSIG'NGR TO DUTCHESS TOOL COMPANY, OF BEACON, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CUT-OFF FOR DOUGH-I-IOPPERS AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Qct. 31L, 1916.

Application filed February 1, 1916. Serial No. 75,534.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK H. VAN HOUTEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Beacon, in the county of Dutchess and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Cut-Offs for Dough-Hoppers and the like; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improved cutoff for dough hoppers and the like, such, for instance, as are embodied in my prior patent for a dough dividing machine No. 1,158,339, granted to me October 26, 1915. In dough dividing machines of the type shown in my said prior patent, the dough hopper is mounted above a compression chamber which receives the dough discharged through the outlet in the bottom of the hopper. Working within the compression chamber is a plunger which is retracted during ,feedingof the dough into the chamber and advanced after the chamber is filled with the proper quantity of dough to discharge the dough at a substantially predetermined pressure into the measuring pockets of a cylinder or drum which is then rotated to carry away the measuring pockets from filling position and discharge the measured batches of dough, this movement of the cylinder also bringing a series of empty pockets into registry with the outlet of the compression chamber. During the advance stroke of the plunger to force the dough into the measuring pockets of the cylinder, it is necessary that the outlet of the hopper be closed, in order to prevent the pressure of the dough in the hopper above the compression chamber from interfering with the movement of the plunger, and for this purpose it has been customary to provide a cut-offconsisting of a blade which is moved forward when the plunger and retracted when the plunger is retracted to permit a quantity of the dough in the hopper to pass into the compression chamber.

The object of the present invention will readily be understood in connection with dough machinery ofrthe above described type, this object being to provide a cut-off which will be rendered inoperative by releasing it from its operating mechanism when the cut-off comes into contact with an obstruction sufficient, for instance, to retard its normal movement in closing the outlet of the hopper. It frequently happens that, owing to the carelessness of workmen or other causes, foreign objects are deposited in the hopper of the dough dividing machine and when the machine is set in operation, a foreign object coming in contact with the cut-0E or blade will in all probability inflict serious damage to the working parts of the machine, the damage being augmented by reason of the fact that the cut-off is usually connected with the same power shaft which operates the other parts of the machine and thus the abnormal stress produced by sudden stoppage in the movement of the cut-off will be transmitted to practically every part of the machine. Danger of damage to the machine due to an obstruction in the path of the cut-off so as to retard its movement will be eliminated by the improved arrangement of the present invention which operates to release the cut-off from the operating mechanism when such an obstruction occurs and thus the cut-0E may remain stationary while the other parts of the machine are doing their work in a normal manner. It will be understood, however, that the invention is not limited in its scope to the specific dough dividing inachine herein described, but will be found to be of general utility in the art to which it relates and is capable of useful application with machines of other types as well.

The invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts, as will be described in the following specification and the novel features of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a dough dividing machine equipped with a cut-ofi' for the hopper embodying the present improvements, showing the parts in their normal Like characters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.

The machine adapted for illustrating the present invention embodies in its construction a hopper A having an outlet 0', into which hopper the dough to be divided is deposited. Working beneath the hopper or at some other convenient point adjacent outlet a is a reciprocatory cut-off consisting preferably of a knife B mounted to reciprocate in a suitable slideway in the frame of the machine, this knife being conveniently of the type employed in my said prior Patent No. 1,158,325. The knife B is provided with a head or sleeve B which is fixed to a knife stem B slidable within a guide-way of suitable shape in the frame and moving in accord with the knife proper. Below the cut-off or knife B there is located a comrocatory plunger or head D adapted to advance the dough deposited in the cham-' ber to the head or cylinder E and to force the same into pockets in said cylinder at a substantially predetermined pressure. This system of operation has been set forth in my said prior patent and other prior patents granted to me, and needs no further description here.

The mechanism for operating the plunger D may be briefly described as follows: A cam shaft F is journaled in the frame F of the machine and receives motion through the medium of a large gear wheel Gat one end of said Shaft'meshing with a pinion G forming port of a train of drive" gearing receiving power from any suitable source. A weighted bell crank lever formed by the arms 9 g is mounted on a transverse shaft 9 the arm gbemg pivotally connectedbya suitable link connection 9 with the rear end of the plunger G and an adjustable weight g is mounted adjacent the outer end of arm 9. The weight serves as a means for advancing the plunger and dough and for forcing the dough into the measuring pockets, while a cam g on the shaft F serves as the meas for retracting the plunger and elevating the weight g.

v The principal feature of the present invention resides in the means whereby the knife or cut-off B may be released from its operating connections when the knife contacts with an obstruction sulficientto retard its normal movement, it being understood that in the present embodiment, as in my Patent No. 1,158,339, the knife B moves in accord with the plunger D.

are links C, these being of similar construc-' tion and hence a link on one side only is illustrated in the drawings. The said links .l are provided attheir ends opposite the pivot with extensions or bars C, each bar having at some convenient point on its upper edge a notch c. A second link H is provided with a head H having an opening adapted to receive the bar C of the link C, there being a link H on each side of the frame. Mounted within the head H of each link H is a vertical pin it having its lower end positioned normally within the notch 0* of bar C, the lower end of the pin being yieldingly pressed into said notch c by means of a spring it, within a suitable recess in the head H and pressing on a shoulder 7f ofthe pin It. The ends of thelinks H opposite to heads H are pivotally connected with lever arms I journaled in the main frame and one of which, 6., thelever arm illustrated in the drawings, is provided at its lower end below the shaft i connecting the lever arms I, with a projection or roller adapted to cooperate with a cam groove i on the inner face of the large gear G. A

pair of links G and H constitutes, respectively, in effect, a single link composed of two 7 members, one of which, as the link H, is movable relatively to the other, and the two members are normally held against relative movement by means of the pin it engaging the notch c of the extension or bar C of the hnkG. Accordingly, the motion of levers I caused by the travel of the projection or roller 2" in the cam groove 2' will normally be transmitted to the links C and the knife or cut-oft B will be reciprocated to intermittently open and close'the outlet 0 of the. hopper in accord with the movements of the plunger DU lNhen, however, the knife B encounters an obstruction in its path, such as tointerfere with its normal movement, the power exertedv by levers I will lift the pins in out of their respective sockets 0 against the tension of the spring and thus permit the links H to slide freely on the extensions or bars C. .Suddenstoppage of the blade or cut-01f B from any cause will not be transmitted to the levers I, the links H sliding freely on bars C,.and hence no interference whatsoever is offered to the movement of the. other parts of the machine. The result is that there is little danger of breakage or other injury to the machine from stoppage of the cut-off B.

What isclaimed is:

'1. The combination of a dough hopper and the like having an outlet through which dough is. discharged, a cut-off adapted to close the outlet of said hopper, operating mechanism for moving the cut-oil into and outof outlet closing position, and means for rendering Smd'OPeIfiitlIIg mechanism inoperative with respect to thecut -oif upon contact. of the cut-ofl withan obstruction in its 7 path suflicient to retard the normal move- 7 ment ofthe cut-ofli V 2. The combination'ofa doughrhopper and the like having an outlet through which dough is discharged, a cut-off adapted to close the outlet of said hopper, operating mechanism'for moving the cut-oil into and out of outlet closing position, and a yielding connection interposed between the operating mechanism and the cut oil adapted to release the cutoff from the operating mechanism upon contact of the cut-oli with an obstruction in its path sufficient to retard the normal movement of the cut-off.

3. The combination of a dough hopper and the like having an outlet throughwhich dough is discharged, a reciprocatory blade adapted to intermittently close the outlet of said hopper, operating mechanism for reciprocating said blade and thereby moving it into and out of outlet closing position, and means for rendering said operating mechanism inoperative with respect to the blade upon contact of the blade with an obstruction in its path sufficient to retard the normal movement of the blade.

4. The combination of a dough hopper and the like having an outlet through which dough is discharged, a cut-oil adapted to close the outlet of said hopper, operating mechanism for moving the cut-ell into and out of outlet closing position, and a springpressed connecting member interposed between the operating mechanism and the cutoff adapted to release the cut-off from the Copies of this patent may be obtained for operating mechanism upon contact of the cut-oil with an obstruction in its path suflicient to retard the normal movement of the cut-ofi.

5. The combination of a dough hopper and the like, having an outlet through which dough is discharged, a cut-0E adapted to close the outlet of said hopper, a notched bar connected with the cut-oil", operating mechanism for moving the cut-off into and out of closing position, including a link having a head receiving said bar, a spring-pressed pin mounted in said head and adapted to enter the notch in the bar, whereby the bar may move normally in accord with the link and the link may slide on the bar upon contact of the cut-ofi with an obstruction in its path sufiicient to retard the normal movement of the cut-ofi".

6. The combination of a dough hopper and the like, having an outlet through which dough is discharged, a cut-off adapted to close the outlet of said hopper, a link embodying two members slidable relatively to each other, one member being connected with said cut-0E, means connected with the other member for reciprocating the same, and a spring-pressed connection for normally preventing relative movement of the two members.

FRANK H. VAN HOUTEN.

five cents each, by addressing; the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

